OHRID PEARL - UNIQUE JEWELRY FROM MACEDONIA

The world famous Ohrid Pearl is made from the scales of fish Plashica (bleak), endemic species of fish in the lake Ohrid. Skills for making Ohrid Pearl remain a secret family tradition that is inherited from generation to generation. Secret is carefully kept for almost a century. It's the light and uniqueness of the original Ohrid pearl, a jewel for which the city is also widely known. In Ohrid, in the old bazaar today, you can hear many tangled stories about the pearl. Talevi family is considered one of the few who zealously guard the tradition and the single recipe for manufacturing this beautiful and unique jewelry.


The secret story of the origin of the pearl begins with the scales of the Ohrid fish - bleak, but the method of processing and recipe for the glaze is a family secret passed only to male offspring.

It is only known that in 1924, recipe was bought from a Russian soldier who was staying in Ohrid and that Talevi family brought the material for making the pearl from Bethlehem.
This beautiful pearl in its beauty undoubtedly carries the secret of its manufacturing. For this pearl, experts would tell you that it last forever!


Many famous people could not resist the glow of this pearl. Queen Elizabeth, former Foreign Minister Anna Lindh of Sweden and former Foreign Minister of Bulgaria Nadezhda Mihailova and many other famous names wore Ohrid pearl.

2 families are manufacturing original Ohrid pearl in Ohrid, Talevi family and Filevi family.


Talevi family

The family Talevi produces Ohrid pearls since 1924. The secret for preparing the emulsion is passed from father to son. The emulsion with which is coated the grain of Ohrid pearl, is from natural origin and made by extracting silver from the scales of fish Plashica. Kliment Talev is a second generation from family Talevi that makes the Ohrid pearl. His son Vane is the third and grandchildren Kliment and Mihajlo are the fourth generation. Talevi are especially proud that the Queen of England Elizabeth II wears Ohrid pearls, specially designed in their workshop.

Queen Elizabeth II wearing Ohrid pearl necklace

Kliment Talev

Filevi family

Among the contenders for the title "King of Ohrid pearls", with family tradition since 1928 is the family Filevi that manufactures Ohrid pearl. In 1928, Mihajlo Filev learns the secret of making pearls from the scales of fish Plashica. Filev family begins with making of pearls, transferring the skill from generation to generation. More than 80 years of manufacturing pearls, the Filevi family pearl jewelry becomes a leading souvenir in Ohrid, and refined by each new generation, becomes a part of the collections of many people in Macedonia and worldwide.

Filevi jewelry